English word origin

Etymology of vet

Clipping of veterinarian.

3 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

A veterinarian or veterinary surgeon.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clipping of veterinarian.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "clipping",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "veterinarian"
      },
      "expansion": "Clipping of veterinarian"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "veterinarian",
      "veterinarian#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A veterinarian or veterinary surgeon."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "colloquial"
      ],
      "recordId": "88549106b7b3208f036ca4ad3d429007c80d2e90a0be2c6366f5b7019f544ade",
      "rawRecordSha256": "caa72ec3c6e6a355243b5d63d7ef1f9a6399b16b101f6283a52fe3cc6c670f3f",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 217273
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

A veteran (a former soldier or other member of armed forces).

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clipping of veteran.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "clipping",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "veteran"
      },
      "expansion": "Clipping of veteran"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "veteran",
      "veteran#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A veteran (a former soldier or other member of armed forces)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "colloquial"
      ],
      "recordId": "860aae0fefd7fa700e2271f35060da9364dd83fd0a98f28fcf54ccde75671329",
      "rawRecordSha256": "310ed09b84ba02a85a48eadbc6a64f1359f8715ccbdd99b03ba336e3ab18d3b8",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 217274
    }
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  }
}

Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

verb

To thoroughly check or investigate particularly with regard to providing formal approval.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Possibly by analogy from Etymology 1, in the sense of "verifying the soundness [of an animal]"

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [],
  "links": [],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To thoroughly check or investigate particularly with regard to providing formal approval."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "05f158fad606a8885dadff1d67c237efaac8a0c98bda28417de690c1048d6e71",
      "rawRecordSha256": "54d376e16714e411ffe33679ff5db7918c6328cf59317e638f0287190a233c4b",
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}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for vet →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-dmV0